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Environmental health Risks of Water Contamination
EPA & CDC Guidance
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) waterborne disease surveillance provides information that can help prevent future disease and outbreaks while providing important information on how germs, chemicals, or toxins spread, and which types of water are linked to people getting sick.
Water contaminated with germs, chemicals, or toxins can lead to waterborne illness if you drink it, breathe it in, or it touches your skin, eyes, ears, or other mucous membranes. By collecting data on the types of water, water systems, settings, and agents (what spreads the disease) that are linked to waterborne illness, we improve our understanding of waterborne illnesses and can better guide prevention efforts.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlines multiple environmental health risks due to drinking water contamination.
Environmental health risks are reportedly due to over-exposure to contaminated water, including short-term and long-term exposure to chemical levels above the MCL, as dependent on the contaminant.
Below is a cross-reference of those symptoms and medical conditions, under medical specialization categories.
Health Risk - Symptomology & Conditions
Cancer
- Increased risk of cancer
- Cancer - Bladder
- Cancer - Colon
- Cancer - Kidney
- Cancer - Liver
- Cancer - Rectal
- Cancer - Testicular
Cardiology
- Cardiovascular effects
- Cardiovascular system
- Circulatory problems
- Increase in blood pressure
- Numbness in fingers or toes
Dermatology
- Allergic dermatitis
- Argyria - grey-blue skin discoloration
- Argyria - Skin discoloration
- Damage to skin
- Fingernail loss
- Hair loss
- Skin changes
- Skin damage
Gastroenterology & Renal
- Gastroenterology
- Benign intestinal polyps
- Cramps
- Diarrhea
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Gastrointestinal illness (such as diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps)
- Headaches
- Intestinal lesions
- Intestinal problems
- Liver damage
- Liver effects
- Liver problems
- Nausea
- Spleen damage
- Stomach discomfort
- Stomach problems
- Vomiting
- Renal
- Changes in adrenal glands
- Kidney damage
- Kidney problems
- Kidney toxicity
- Kidney, liver, or adrenal gland problems
- Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems; increased risk of cancer
- Minor kidney changes
Hematology
- Anemia
- Blood cholesterol
- Blood system damage
- Changes in blood
- Decrease in blood platelets
- Decrease in blood sugar
- Decreased blood enzyme levels
- Inhibit function of normal hemoglobin to carry and release oxygen
- Problems with blood
- Immune deficiencies
- Immune system effects
- Immune system problems
- Thymus gland problems
- Thyroid effects
Internal Medicine
- Decreased body and organ weights
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Fatal
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Weakness of the legs
- Weight loss
Neurology
- Nerve damage
- Nervous system damage
- Nervous system effects
- Nervous system problems
- Nervous-system disorders
- Neurological - brain and spinal cord
- Numbness in fingers or toes
- Slight nervous system effects
- Central nervous system
Ophthalmology
- Cataracts
- Eye irritation
- Eye problems
Orthopedic
- Bone disease (pain and tenderness of the bones)
- Skeletal damage
- Skeletal system problems
Pediatrics, Infant & Neo-Natal
- Dental
- Mottled teeth
- Developmental
- Deficits in attention span and learning abilities
- Delays in physical or mental development
- Developmental effects following repeated exposure during pregnancy and/or childhood
- Neurological problems
- Physical problems
- Immunology
- Immune effects following repeated exposure during pregnancy and/or childhood
- Thyroid effects
- Infant
- Blue-baby syndrome
- Fatal - Infants below the age of six months - become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die
- Neurological effects
- Shortness of breath
- Maternal-Infant & Neonatal
- Neurological effects
- Thyroid effects
- Neurology
- Nervous system effects - infants and young children
- Neurological effects
Reproductive Health
- Reproductive difficulties
- Reproductive problems
- Reproductive system problems
Respiratory
- Legionnaire’s Disease, a type of pneumonia
- Nose irritation
- Pneumonia
Pre-Existing Conditions
Heightened Risk for Pre-Existing Conditions
- Anemia
- Development Disorders
- Heart Conditions
- Iron excess disease such as hemochromatosis
- Metabolic Disorders
- Respiratory Disease
- Wilson's Disease
